SNOW HILL – Looking for some healthy tips?
Thanks to the Worcester County Health Department, you don’t need to look further than YouTube. The health department is now offering monthly health and fitness videos through its social media pages.
“Most people spend their days at a job and we were thinking of ways to reach them,” said Mimi Dean, the health department’s supervisor of chronic disease and tobacco control.
Since September, the health department has been posting two videos a month to YouTube. The videos, which focus on physical fitness as well as healthy eating, are made with the help of volunteers from area businesses.
Dean said area businesses were welcome to take part in the initiative as long as they were certified as one of the “Healthiest Maryland Businesses.” Even if they’re not certified yet, Dean says businesses can contact the Worcester County Health Department to determine whether they fit the bill.
“We do a baseline assessment with a CDC health scorecard,” Dean said. “It’s kind of like a report card.”
If a business meets the criteria to become one of the “Healthiest Maryland Businesses,” it gains access to a variety of online resources and is able to network with other businesses.
“It’s a great way to connect with like-minded businesses,” said Travis Brown, the health department’s public information officer.
Businesses that don’t meet the health criteria are advised of changes they can make to become healthier work environments and have the opportunity to seek certification in the future.
Dean says the “Healthiest Maryland Businesses” in Worcester County have been eager to help the health department create its online videos. Volunteers so far have included Worcester County government employees as well as staff from the Worcester County Board of Education. This week, education officials helped the health department’s dietician with a recipe for avocado quesadillas. The department’s physical fitness expert worked with volunteers on easy chair exercises. Both of those videos will be added in December.
“This is stuff you can do without equipment,” Dean said. “We want to make it fun and entertaining.”
Though the department has volunteers for the next seven videos lined up, Dean says volunteers from other area businesses are welcome to get involved.
“The more people see the message the more it helps us with our focus of preventing diabetes and heart disease,” Dean said.
To view the videos the health department has put together so far look up WCHD Health Department on YouTube.